Various Artists – V3RSIONS Volume Two (BC2 Records)

Manu F, GH and JP Gallesio & Davy Ech make their BC2 label debuts as part of the V3RSIONS Volume 2 EP compilation.

Balkan Connection’s BC2 division started their ‘V3RSIONS’ series in November of last year. Headed up by BC2 A&R d-phrag the series focused on introducing new artists to the label. The collection’s first installment featured the likes of Toppy, Russlan Jaafreh and Alex Philpp. Now for BC2’s 48th overall release we see the label presenting Volume 2 which features the debuts of Manu F, GH and JP Gallesio & Davy Ech.

The collection gets underway with Manu F’s ‘Tempus Fugit’ which comes in with a classic progressive house vibe. The Argentinean producer has made a name for himself in the old school community with releases on Abstract Space, LuPS and Stellar Fountain. His productions range from deep and dreamy to full on monsters and ‘Tempus Fugit’ definitely falls into the latter category. Fueled by big beats, fluid rhythms and a bevy of electric lines the energy is enormous throughout the first act and it just grows as the breakdown approaches. Here a more realized melodic theme gets presented and a melancholic vibe slowly washes over the track. The records third act adds mightily to the atmosphere with a series of vocally pads phasing in and out while the massive groove below delivers a huge finish.

The second selection finds Geoffrey Huber aka GH making his label debut with ‘The Presence’. Geoffrey hails from the USA or Pittsburgh to be more exact and has been producing electronic music since the early 2000s. Of late the majority of Geoffrey’s productions have been showcased on the excellent Stem & Leaf label which if I’m not mistaken he owns and operates. GH’s sound has always been quite intriguing and ‘The Presence’ certainly is as well. It’s deep, well textured groove is warm and inviting while the vocal elements and bubbly synths bring a wonderful esoteric vibe. A fantastic mood setting piece that will certainly provide an amazing atmosphere to any room. Great stuff from GH.

The third and final selection is provided by JP Gallesio and Davy Ech who are both appearing on the label for the first time. Both JP and Davy hail from Buenos Aires, Argentina which is a real hotbed for up and coming progressive house producers. According to Beatport ‘Puma Pride’ is the duos first ever released production so this is a huge moment in both their careers. It’s a deep and enchanting creation that definitely grows on you. The growling foundation carries somewhat of sinister vibe but it’s floaty, textural surroundings cast a much more godly feel which is quite charming. The smoothness of the groove and warm subtle build is what’s most appealing; that effortless glide is quite pleasurable for a casual listen or for warming up a dance floor. The mesmerizing main break plays out over a one minute plus stretch and it sets up a smooth and serene finish to both the track and release. It’s a solid debut for JP and Davy who I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the future.